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Utah state trooper accused of making bogus DUI arrests

During her 10 years as a Utah state trooper, Lisa Steed built a reputation as an officer with a knack for nabbing drunken motorists in a state with a long tradition of teetotaling and some of the nation's strictest liquor laws.

Steed used the uncanny talent -- as one supervisor once described it -- to garner hundreds of arrests, setting records, earning praise as a rising star and becoming the first woman to become trooper of the year.

Today, however, Steed is out of work, fired from the Utah Highway Patrol, and she -- and her former superiors -- are facing a lawsuit in which some of those she arrested allege she filed bogus DUI reports.

.....

Steed was taken off road patrol in April 2012 and fired in November. She was accused of violating department policies, falsifying police reports and using questionable practices when making DUI arrests.

Or, rather, despite her very unusual "success" it had to build up to unavoidable evidence that couldn't be ignored or explained away. There is no way police supervisors can claim with a straight face they are only looking out for public safety with that much evidence the public is in danger of false arrest.

I mean really. How much thinking does it take to ask oneself, "Hmmmm. That's pretty coincidental. The most drunks are out driving at exactly the same time Trooper Steed is working. The drunks even shift their patterns around to coincide with her work hours. Hmmmmm."

And, this is from the same industry that will use just about anything it can to justify being suspicious for a car search, dog sniff, or detention. Meaning, they'll latch on to the tiniest thing and claim in court it justified a suspicion.

Bwahahahahahahahahahaahaaaa!!!!

I'll make you an offer: I will argue and fight for all of your rights, if you will do the same for me. That is the only way freedom can work. We have to respect all rights, all the time--and strive to win the rights of the other guy as much as for ourselves.

If I am equal to another, how can I legitimately govern him without his express individual consent?

There is no human being on earth I hate so much I would actually vote to inflict government upon him.

Steed stopped him because he was wearing a Halloween costume and booked him even though three breathalyzer tests showed no alcohol in his system. Choate said he spent $3,800 and had to take four days off of work to get his DUI charge dismissed.

Why weren't her supervisors supervising? Seriously, wouldn't she have to put the results of all those tests into her report?
And wouldn't the DA look at them & apologize profusely to the driver? Why did the citizen have to spend time & money on this?
Wonder why he didn't do something about it before this.

By April 2012, her credibility had come into question so much that a prosecutor said he would no longer prosecute DUIs if Steed's testimony was the only evidence.

Why were they doing it in the first place?!?! If it's just the cop and the citizen, no video of him weaving, slurring, failing the stupid human tricks, no brethalyzer, then they don't have a case.

the bulk of Steed's arrestees had no signs of "impairing drugs" in their systems

She booked him for DUI even though his blood alcohol content was 0.00

Tapia was arrested for a DUI; her... blood test showed no alcohol

Every one of her DUI stops back to at least 2006 should be under suspicion, he said, adding that could be as many as 1,500 people.

Why weren't her supervisors supervising? Seriously, wouldn't she have to put the results of all those tests into her report?
And wouldn't the DA look at them & apologize profusely to the driver? Why did the citizen have to spend time & money on this?
Wonder why he didn't do something about it before this.

Why were they doing it in the first place?!?! If it's just the cop and the citizen, no video of him weaving, slurring, failing the stupid human tricks, no brethalyzer, then they don't have a case.

:like:

"By April 2012 her credibility....." She has been slipping in credibility for several years but the top cops just could not bring themselves to hold one of their own accountable.

I again reiterate.

Steed was taken off road patrol in April 2012 and fired in November. She was accused of violating department policies, falsifying police reports and using questionable practices when making DUI arrests.

No criminal charges? Apparently the Utah State Police is a cesspool of state sanctioned buffoonery. I hope that this goes class action and those who ended up paying or served time get big fat checks. But, the state and a complicit thug judge will limit this case to only those identified in the article.

"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it." - Thomas Jefferson.

"Better that ten guilty persons escape, than that one innocent suffer" - English jurist William Blackstone.

It is AFAIK original to me. Compromise is failure on the installment plan, particularly when dealing with so intractable an opponent as ignorance. - Nightmare

And who is it from Utah in this thread?

This seems to be a case of an overzealous, female trooper who wanted to show that she could not only play with the boys, but beat them at their own game. She made a name for herself as a State Trooper... unfortunately, she made a name twice. The "rising star" is now the fallen star. (I guess the good news is that she wasn't a shooting star.) A single individual who chooses not to play by the rules is not necessarily an indication of uniform corruption, but it does tarnish the badge. However... if her superiors became suspicious - which they should have with 0.0BA arrests - and if they failed to investigate properly, they are as culpable as she. It brings into question a possible culture of corruption within that LE agency.

Sadly, our LEOs are drawn from the same well as our bank tellers, doctors, carpenters, and professional athletes - the very fallible human race. Honor and integrity are not innate characteristics of humans. IMHO, they are the result of nurture, not nature, and for most of us these traits are usually established before we reach our teen years. Honor and integrity are learned moral concepts. Our paths are determined by what we have learned from observation and experience, and how we internalize that learning. Apparently, Lisa Steed internalized the wrong social conscience. This is the type of behavior that comes from manipulating and ignoring "the rules". Behaviors learned from observation of parents, peers, and other "authority figures". Internalized behaviors like copying the work of other students in school without being caught, successfully lying to parents, plagiarism, shoplifting without being held accountable, etc. Somewhat short of being a full-blown, conscienceless sociopath, but having an abnormal set of personal rules by which they live. The preceding is not meant to excuse Lisa Steed's transgressions, but as an explanation of some of the factors that may (or may not) have molded her into what she is today. An unremorseful cheat and a liar. Personally, I hope she gets the maximum sentence when she is tried and found guilty.

It's a shame that we can't find people that are all perfectly suited to their job, and I believe that's especially true in a field as important to the public as LE. The only perfect human of record died over 2,000 years ago. Today, we just have to work with what's currently available. Pax...

I'll make you an offer: I will argue and fight for all of your rights, if you will do the same for me. That is the only way freedom can work. We have to respect all rights, all the time--and strive to win the rights of the other guy as much as for ourselves.

If I am equal to another, how can I legitimately govern him without his express individual consent?

There is no human being on earth I hate so much I would actually vote to inflict government upon him.

I just thought it ironic that the "Utah Forum" had posts in this thread from members in Wisconsin, Virginia and North Carolina. They are certainly welcome in any forum, but the irony of a state forum without input from any residents of that state (or at least those who proclaimed residence in some fashion) jumped right out at me.

The second irony is that there was no indication of any relationship between the original post and OC. If this was just posted as a news item, it's old news to those of us who actually live in Utah, as the disgraced Steed's face has been plastered all over the local TV news for at least a month, and many gallons of printer's ink were probably sacrificed just to repeatedly print this one story as it unfolded.

Those two things combined left me with the impression that it was simply an exercise in "cop bashing". Having worked in Utah LE about twenty-five years ago, I take exception to the finger pointing of outsiders (granted the whole "cop culture" in Utah could have transmogrified in that period of time). The worst I saw at the DCSO, was a bit of badge-heavy attitude demonstrated by a two or three of the deputies. Although there was a significant religion-based "them vs us"-type clique within the DCSO, I never once had any suspicions of dishonesty or corruption. Just my 2¢ worth. Pax...

Well lookie here

It appears she tazed a non-threatening man repeatedly after he didn't get out of the car and wanted his lawyer presented. I would call this one of those "questionable practices" mentioned in the OP

It looks from pictures and video this looks like the same trooper.

It appears that Utah Highway Patrol paid the man in this video 40,000 dollars in exchange for dropping an excessive force complaint against the department. This incident was in late March of 2009. The settlement was in November of 2012, a full six months prior to her firing.

Last edited by EMNofSeattle; 02-23-2013 at 04:08 PM.

they love our milk and honey, but they preach about some other way of living, when they're running down my country man they're walkin' on the fightin side of me

It appears she tazed a non-threatening man repeatedly after he didn't get out of the car and wanted his lawyer presented. I would call this one of those "questionable practices" mentioned in the OP

It looks from pictures and video this looks like the same trooper.

It appears that Utah Highway Patrol paid the man in this video 40,000 dollars in exchange for dropping an excessive force complaint against the department. This incident was in late March of 2009. The settlement was in November of 2012, a full six months prior to her firing.

That's why smart people keep their doors locked, window down only an inch and don't answer any questions as a passenger. Stay in the car and keep your mouth shut.

See no connection in this thread to OC or RKBA - moved to Social Lounge.

(8) KEEP IT ON-TOPIC: All gun rights discussions not directly related to open carry should take place in the "General Discussions" forum and topics that are not related to gun rights at all should take place in "The Lounge". Please police your own posts before posting them and help keep OCDO strong and focused.

Better to not open your mouth and be thought the fool, than to open it and remove all doubt.

You will not rise to the occasion; you will fall back on your level of training.” Archilochus, 650 BC

That's why smart people keep their doors locked, window down only an inch and don't answer any questions as a passenger. Stay in the car and keep your mouth shut.

Don't forget PA vs Mimms. Cops can legally order anybody out of their vehicle for officer safety during a stop.

Last edited by Citizen; 02-23-2013 at 09:54 PM.

I'll make you an offer: I will argue and fight for all of your rights, if you will do the same for me. That is the only way freedom can work. We have to respect all rights, all the time--and strive to win the rights of the other guy as much as for ourselves.

If I am equal to another, how can I legitimately govern him without his express individual consent?

There is no human being on earth I hate so much I would actually vote to inflict government upon him.

And more specifically, they only come from those within that well who WANT to police their fellowmen.

Yes, Mac, and doctors come from those within that well who want to practice medicine and/or play God; mechanics come from those within that well who want to fix cars; and clergymen, social workers, and psychiatrists come from those within that well who want to influence/control the thoughts and actions of other people. (There are also many officers [although arguably, they may be in the minority] who have the integrity to be enforcers of the law without thinking they are the law, and actually believe the motto "To Protect and Serve".) Pax...

And more specifically, they only come from those within that well who WANT to police their fellowmen.

I won't let others equate public jobs to private. It just doesn't equate. Bankers, Carpenters and Doctors etc.......pay for their mistakes almost immediately. They don't get the protection of the almighty state.

I am not anti Cop I am just pro Citizen.

U.S. v. Minker, 350 US 179, at page 187
"Because of what appears to be a lawful command on the surface, many citizens, because
of their respect for what only appears to be a law, are cunningly coerced into waiving their
rights, due to ignorance." (Paraphrased)

It's not the only motivation but it is a major one. Certain jobs attract certain people and the more you protect and not hold liable people in that profession the worse type of people it will attract.

Certain jobs attract certain personalities. For example all engineers I know are A-type personalities many outright OCD, of course this is normally a good thing when designing structures that could potentially be dangerous.

I am not anti Cop I am just pro Citizen.

U.S. v. Minker, 350 US 179, at page 187
"Because of what appears to be a lawful command on the surface, many citizens, because
of their respect for what only appears to be a law, are cunningly coerced into waiving their
rights, due to ignorance." (Paraphrased)

Yes a violent attack is possible. They will do it if they have their mind made up, especially if there is some kind of warrant or something like that guy had. I heard something that sounded like he was possibly wanted or there was an issue of some sort. But in normal traffic cases especially, many times if the officer hauls someone out of a car like any of those. It is excessive force etc. Obviously it's a generalization and there are other factors that come in to play. But like in that Steven Anderson case he was found Not Guilty.

I won't let others equate public jobs to private. It just doesn't equate. Bankers, Carpenters and Doctors etc.......pay for their mistakes almost immediately. They don't get the protection of the almighty state.

I agree about doctors and carpenters. But, I think ya forgot about bankers.

Bankers get all kinds of protection. Court decisions giving them the authority to suspend payments to depositors ("bank-holidays") rather than be forced into bankruptcy and liquidate, including the personal assets of the officers, to pay off depositors; special treatment in the form of the legal definition about what a deposit is; the FDIC; special charter creating the Federal Reserve. The whole banking industry in this country is designed to privatize the profits and socialize the risks. The Federal Reserve system was created precisely because bankers kept making mistakes with other people's money. The bankers--Federal Reserve--were not only protected, but rewarded with the monopoly to create money (Federal Reserve Notes) and the power to regulate the value of money (set interest rates) rather than let the market do it. I'll just mention in passing the massive bailouts in 2009, and QE1, QE2, and the most recent QEinfinity.

Last edited by Citizen; 02-24-2013 at 03:43 PM.

I'll make you an offer: I will argue and fight for all of your rights, if you will do the same for me. That is the only way freedom can work. We have to respect all rights, all the time--and strive to win the rights of the other guy as much as for ourselves.

If I am equal to another, how can I legitimately govern him without his express individual consent?

There is no human being on earth I hate so much I would actually vote to inflict government upon him.

I agree about doctors and carpenters. But, I think ya forgot about bankers.

Bankers get all kinds of protection. Court decisions giving them the authority to suspend payments to depositors ("bank-holidays") rather than be forced into bankruptcy and liquidate, including the personal assets of the officers, to pay off depositors; special treatment in the form of the legal definition about what a deposit is; the FDIC; special charter creating the Federal Reserve. The whole banking industry in this country is designed to privatize the profits and socialize the risks. The Federal Reserve system was created precisely because bankers kept making mistakes with other people's money. The bankers--Federal Reserve--were not only protected, but rewarded with the monopoly to create money (Federal Reserve Notes) and the power to regulate the value of money (set interest rates) rather than let the market do it. I'll just mention in passing the massive bailouts in 2009, and QE1, QE2, and the most recent QEinfinity.

You've heard about the "Blue Wall" in LE? Well, there's a "White Wall" in the medical field - doctors protect their own. Got a malpractice suit you want to bring against a doctor or hospital? Good luck finding a "medical expert" willing to support your case. Pax...

You've heard about the "Blue Wall" in LE? Well, there's a "White Wall" in the medical field - doctors protect their own. Got a malpractice suit you want to bring against a doctor or hospital? Good luck finding a "medical expert" willing to support your case. Pax...

Ahhhhh. I should have realized. It makes sense.

I'll make you an offer: I will argue and fight for all of your rights, if you will do the same for me. That is the only way freedom can work. We have to respect all rights, all the time--and strive to win the rights of the other guy as much as for ourselves.

If I am equal to another, how can I legitimately govern him without his express individual consent?

There is no human being on earth I hate so much I would actually vote to inflict government upon him.